1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to thermal processing of metallic and dielectric materials and, more particularly, is directed towards a method and apparatus involving pulsed beam localized thermal processing of metallic and dielectric materials.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional thermal processing of metallic and dielectric materials is performed by elevating the temperature of the entire material and by maintaining the temperature environment for an adequate period of time to produce the required thermal effects. Consequently, thermal gradients and the rates of heating/cooling are quite small. Generally, thermal processing is performed in a furnace type facility for times ranging from a few seconds to many hours or days over a wide range of temperatures. Such techniques, in addition to being time and energy consuming, have had limited application due to the fact that many materials degrade as a result of the thermal exposures necessary for the processing. A need exists for an improved method and apparatus for rapid thermal processing of specific regions of metallic and dielectric materials that permit controlled thermal processing in a selected region and does not significantly alter other regions of the material.